Freight-handling apparatus.



H. SAWYER. FREIGHT HANDLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19, 1913.

1, 1 1 1, 1.00. Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 1.

V oz Mt W THE NORRIS PETERS 50.. PHOTOYLITHQ. WASHINGTON. D. Q

H. SAWYER. FREIGHT HANDLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19, 1913.

1 1 1 1,100, Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mi bwc/goao W::2?M a THL AORRIS PETERS (70., PHOTO'LITHQ. WASHINGTUN. D. CV

To all whom it may concern:

HARRY SAWYER, OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN.

FBEiGHT -HANDLING APPARATUS.

Be it known that I, HARRY SAWYER, citizen of the United States, residing at Muskegon, county of. Muskegon, State of Michigan, have made a certain new and-useful Invention in Freight-Handling Apparatus,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for handling freight, cargoes or the like.

The object of the invention is to provide a freight handling'apparatus which is simple in construction and efiicient in operation.

A further object is to'provide an apparatus of the nature referred to wherein is employed a. cranestructure, including a vertically swinging boom and a horizontally movable frame from which the boom is pivctally suspended, and in connection there with track systems. which will permit the operation of a trolley to and from the boom from and to a track system on a pier, or in a shed, warehouse, freight house or the like, and to secure proper registering relation of different portions of the track systems. I

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the nature and character referred to wherein provision is made to prevent imposing an undue load upon the boom, as, for instance, to prevent more than one loaded trolley from operating upon the boom at.

any one time.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the nature and. character referred to wherein provision is made for the travel of a trolley in continuous direction while operating to and from the outer or free end of the boom. i

Other objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter. l

The invention consists substantially in the construction, combination, location and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawings, and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings and to. the various views and reference signs appearing thereon,

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a freight handling apparatus embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic top plan view showing the track arrangement employed in connection with the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing an- Specification of Letters Patent,

Application filed May 19, 1913.

Patented Sept. 22, 1914. .SerialNo. 768,666. 1

other construction of apparatus embodying the principles of my invention and which. for many purposes, I prefer to use. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the track and electric circuit arrangement and control employed in connection with the construction shown inFig. 3. Fig. is a broken detail view showing the circuit control arrangement for preventing twoor more trolleys fromoperating on to the boom at the same time. i

Thesame part is designated by the same reference sign wherever it occurs throughout the several views.

Inthe use of apparatus for handling freight, and. particularly apparatus eniployed for loading or unloading boats, lighters, or othervessels, trains or the like, when lying alongside piers, docks, sheds, warehouses, freight houses or he like, it is frequently difficult to bring a particular hatch, dooror other opening of the boat, car or the like, into proper or convenient relation to the door, freight or other opening of the pier or dock shed, warehouse or other building to or from which the cargo is to be And where power mechanism is employed for hoisting and transporting the freight or cargo to or from the boat, car or the like tobe loaded or unloaded, it is desirable to employ a track system in the shedor buildmg and on or in connection with the crane audits boom along which a trolley or telpher carrying the freight or cargo may operate. In such case it is not always convenient or possible to enable the track system in the building or shed to properly register with that of the crane structure while permitting the boom or crane to serve a particular car out to theextreme end of the boom and back again to the building without having to change the d rectlon of 1ts movement.

It is among the special purposes of my delivered.

present invention to provide means for avoiding the objections noted and to attain the results and advantages stated.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown various means for carrying out my invention. f

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, reference nui'neral 6 designates, for instance, a pier or dock and 7 a supporting framework thereon. This may be merely a supportlng frame, or

a pier shed or building or a portion thereof,

may serve thedesired purpose. The frame or building 7 is provided with a track system indicated at 8, which may be ofany suitable type and convenient arrangement, but preferably, though not necessarily this track system is of the overhead suspended I-beam type along the lower flange of which a hoisting trolley or telpher 9 is to operate. Associated with the track system 8 are spurs or portions 10, 11, see Fig. 2, respectively arranged, for illustration, to extend from the track system inside the shed or building through various doors or openings therein through any one or more of which the trolley is to operate. Upon the frame or building 7 are supported trackways 12, along which operate the supportingwheels 13, of a-crane frame 14. Upon this crane frame is carried the power mechanism indicated at 15, for swinging the boom presently to be referred to. The crane frame 14' carries a vertically extending, tower 16, at the side thereof which is farthest fromthe building, and the upper end of this tower is suitably held by a tension member 17, to the inner side or edge of the crane frame 14:. The boom, indicated generally at 18, is pivotally connected at its inner end, as at 19, to the outer edge or side of the crane frame so as to rock or swmg vertically thereon, as 1ndlcated by dotted lines in Fig. 1-. When the boom is in horizontal position for use its outer end is supported by linked rods 20, connected thereto and to the upper end of the tower 16. The boom 18, in the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2, carries a series' of short track sections 21, and also a single movable track section 22, the latter designed to be moved into cooperating relation with respect to any desired one of the sections 21, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2.

The track sections 21, 22, are shown as being the spur.

' shed and the alined track sectionsthereof.

In Figsu3, 4 and 5, I have shown another construction and arrangement embodying my invention wherein provisionis made for the operation of trolleys in. continuous direction, thereby avoiding the delay incident to operating them in opposite directions over the sametrack, and also wherein a system" of current supply and control is arranged which prevents more than one trolley from operating upon the overhanging portion of the boom at the same time; 1 In this arrangement I employ the samefarrangementand spacing of tracks inthe building, or shed, but double the number of track sections 23, are employedas in thecase of the sections 21, above described, andtheltr'acksections" 23 are so spaced apart that when one of them, say the first, isbrought into register with a spur track 11, for instance, another, say .the sixth,"is broughtmto-register with the nextadjacent spur 10. This same relation is maintained between the second and seventh, the third :and eighth, and so on. Instead of a single straight, {movable track section, as in the case of the section 22,

above described, a boom track section 24:,

is employed which is formedinto a loop with its ends spaced' apart to correspond with the inter-spacing of, the track sections 23. That is to say when one end of the p section is in register,'with the first section 23, the other end of said loop is in register with the sixth section 23, and so on. This arrangement makes a complete loop track and'enables the trolley to run out on spur section 11, for instance, then to the first of the series of sections 23,thence to and along the loop track 24, to the'siXth-of the sections 28, to thespur'track section 10, and the building-or shed track system.

' In order to enable the boomto serve a particular hatchway, or door which might not be located opposite track sections, 10,

11, the loop track section 24 011 the boom is made shiftable. To this-end said loop track section is carried on the underside of aframe 25, which is pivotally connected, as at 26, see Fig. a, concentric with the circular portion 27 of the loop to the boom framing. The frame 25,or.po rtions thereof, project over a track rail 28',"sup ported in the main 1 boom frame, which rail 1s curved to an arc concentric withv the pivotal axis 26 of the frame 25. Wheels 29, see Fig; 5, carried by frame 25 operate alongfthe rail'28, and thus serve to support the frame 25, as well as the loop track and trolley when the weight of the latter is imposed on the loop track.

I will now describe awiring arrangement and control therefor, for supplyingpropel ling current to the trolley operating' motor, and by means of which two ormore trolleys are prevented froin being on the. loop track section at the same. time while permitting trolleys to follow each other inclose'succession in the expeditious handling of freight. Mach spur track section 10, 11, as well as each track section 23, and the loop section 24, is provided with a supply and a return conductor, circuit between said conductors being completed through the trolley and its propelling motor, when the trolley is operating along either of said track sections. A supply or positive conductor a, is connected to one member of each pair of conductors with which each track section 23 is equipped. Similarly, a return or negative conductor 6, is connected to the other member of said pairs of track section conductors. The conductors a, Z), are connected respectively through the feed and return conductors 0, d, with any convenient service mains or other conductors, e, f. A switch device, in dicated generally at 30, Fig. 3, affords means for controlling the connection between conductors a, b, and feeders 0, (1. When this switch is open, current will be supplied only to the pair of loop track conductors, 31, 32, which are respectively in electrical communication with the feeders 0, a, at the points 33, 34. When the switch 30 is closed then current will be supplied to thepairs of conductor sections of allthe track sections 23, as well as to that ofloop track section 24:. The switch 30, may be operated by a rock shaft 35, having arms 36, 37 at the respective ends thereof. These arms are so relatively arranged that they extend or may be brought into the path of a trolley as the latter enters upon or leaves the loop track section 24, that is, as the trolley passes froma track section 23, onto the loop track 24:, it engages sayarm 36, on

. shaft35, and rocks said shaft, thereby opening the:switch 30. Thereupon current will not be supplied to thetrack rail sections 23, but there will be no interruption of the current supply to theloop track conductors 31, 32.. At the sametime, arm 36 is rocked to open the switch 30, the arm 37, at theother end of the shaft is brought into the path of the trolley to be engaged thereby and rocked as the trolley passes from the loop track section onto a tracksection 23, thereby rocking the shaft 35 in the opposite direction to close the switch 30. The closing of this switch reestablishes current supply to the conductors of track sections 23. Thus it will be seen that while the trolleys are permitted to follow each other in close succession, two of them cannot be on the loop track section at the same time, the travel of 1 automatically preventmg the next succeeding one from proceeding,

one onto the loop but this prevention is removed as the first one leaves the loop.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that it is not necessary for the boom to be in exact line with a spur track section 10, 11. It is suflicient if any cooperating pair any desired one of of the track sections 23 are brought into registering relation with any two corresponding spur sections 10, 11, and then the loop track section 24, will be swung into corresponding position to cooperate therewith. It will also be seen that the boom, when in horizontal position for use is supported at its outer end by the jointed rods or links 20.

Having now set forth the objects and purposes of my invention and embodiments of the principles thereof, what I claim as new and useful and of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus for handling freight, an elevated structure having a track system including spur sections, a crane frame movable transversely of said spur sections, a boom pivotally suspended from said crane frame, a plurality of track sections carried by and extending longitudinally of the boom and respectively adapted to register with said spur sections, and a track portion also carried by the boom and movable to cooperate with any one of said track sections.

2. In an apparatus for handling freight, an elevated structure having a suspended overhead track system including spur sections, a crane frame carried by said structure and movable transversely of said spur sections, a boom pivotally suspended from the crane structure, a plurality of track sections suspended from and extending longitudinally ofsaid boom and adapted to be brought into register with said spur track sections to cooperate therewith, and a track portion also suspended from said boom and movable to cooperate with any one of said track sections.

3. In an apparatus for handling freight, an elevated structure having a track system, including spur sections suitably spaced apart, a crane frame mounted to move in a direction transverse to the length of the spur sections, a vertically swinging boom suspended from said crane frame, a plurality of track sections carried by and extending longitudinally of said boom and suitably spaced apart, said track sections cooperating with the spur sections when brought into register therewith by shifting said crane frame, and a track section carried by the boom, and movable to register with said track sections.

4:. In an apparatus for handling freight, a track system, ried thereby, a plurality of track sections carried by the boom, said crane frame being movable relatively to the track system to bring the track sections and track system into cooperative relation, and a track portion carried by the boom and independently movable to cooperative relation with any one of the track sections.

5. In an apparatus for handling freight a track system, a crane frame, a vertically a crane frame, a boom car swinging boom pivotally suspended from the crane frame, a plurality of track sections carried by the boom, said crane frame being movable to shift said track sections relatively to the track system, and an independent track portion carried by the boom,

and movable into cooperative relation with v boom, said loop track sectlon being movrespect to any desired track section.

6. In an apparatus for handling freight, an overhead track system, a crane frame, a vertically swinging boom pivotally suspended from the crane frame, a plurality of track sections suspended from said boom, said crane frame being movable to shift said track sections relatively to the track system whereby any desired track section may be brought into alinement with the track system, and a track portion suspended from said boom, said track portion being independently movable relatively to said track sections to aline with any desired track section.

7. In an apparatus for handling freight, a track system, a crane frame, a boom carried by said frame, a pluralityof track sections carried by said boom and arranged to cooperate in pairswith said track system, and a track portion also carried by said boom and arranged in the form of a loop to coapemte h rFQSpOnCllng pairs of said,

track sections.

8. In an apparatus for handling freight, a track system including spur sections suitably spaced apart, a crane frame, a boom carried thereby, a plurality of track'sections carried by said boom and arranged in cooperating pairs corresponding in distance apart to the spur sections, said crane frame being movable to bring the corresponding track sections into register with the spaced spurs, and a loop shaped track section movably'mounted on the boom and having its ends arranged to cooperate with said pairs of track sections.

9. In an apparatus for handlin freight, a track system, crane fra1 ne,a boom carried thereby, a plurality oftrack sections car ried by said boom and spaced apart in cooperating pairs, said crane frame being movable to shift cooperating pairs of the track sections into registering relation with the track system, and a loop track portion ca r ried by said boom and movably mounted thereon to cooperate with said pairs of track sectlons.

10. In an apparatus for handling freight,

a track system, a crane frame, a boom pivotally suspended from said frame, a pinrality of track sections carried by the boom, said crane frame being movable to shift cooperating pairs of said track sections into registering relation with the track system and a movable loop track also carried by the boom and cooperating with said track sections.

I 11. 111 an apparatus for handlingfreight, a track system including spurs spaced apart from'eaclrother, a movablecrane frame, a boom carried thereby, a plurality of converging track sections carried by the boom and cooperating in pairs with said spurs and a loop track section also carried by the able to bring the ends thereof into coooperationwith corresponding pairs of track sections. a

12. In an apparatus for handling freight,

a track system including spurs,a movable crane frame, a verticallyswmglng boom p1votally suspended therefrom, a plurality-of track sections carried by said boom and ar' ranged to cooperate 1n pairs with sald track systemspurs, a loop. shaped track portion pivotally mounted upon the boom. and movable to bring the ends thereof into register with cooperating pairs of track sections.

13. In an apparatus for handling freight, a track system, a movable crane," a verti-. callyswinging boom 'pivotally suspended from said frame, track sectionscarriedby as i said boom and cooperatingwith the track system and a loop shapedv track alsofcarried by said boom, a supportingframe therefor, I

said supporting frame being pivotally sup ported on the boom; 14. In an apparatus for handling freight,

a track system includinggspurs, a craneframe, a boom pivotally suspended therefrom, track sections carried by said boom, a

guiding rail, a frame pivotally mounted upon the boom and'op'erating along guide rail and a loop shapedtrackisection" carriedby-said last mentioned frame i ,15. In anapparatus forhandling freightp.

a tracksystem, 'a crane, a boom carried by .1 5 said crane, trackrail sections earned by the boom and c06peratingwith the; track sys-- tem, current supply conductors associated with said track rail sections and means actuated by atrolley when operating along a portion of said track section for opening the circuit of the conductors associated with the other portion of theitrack sections.

16. In an apparatus for handling freight, a crane having a pluralityof track sections, one of said: sections being movable into cooperative relation withrespect to the others, current supply conductors associated with said track sections, a switch for opening and closing the circuit of said supply conductors'to one or another of said track sections, and means operated coincidently by p the passage of a trolley from one to another of said track sections for operating said switch.

17 In an apparatus for, handling freight, a tracltsystenna crane, a boom carried by said crane, track rail sections carried by said boom and cooperating with the track system, a loop track carried by the boom and cooperating with said track rail sections, current supply conductors associated with said track rail sections and loop track, a switch operatingto cut off current supply to the track rail sections without affecting current supply to the loop track conductor,

and means operated by a trolley passing from a track rail section to the loop track for opening said switch.

18. In an apparatus for handling freight, a track system, a crane, a boom carried thereby, boom and cooperating with the track system, a loop track carried by the boom and cooperating with said track rail sections, current supply conductors associated withsaid track rail sections and loop track, a switch operating, when open, to cut ofi current supply to the track rail sections without afiecting current supply to the loop track conductor, means operated by a trolley passing from a track rail section to the loop track for opening said switch and means operated by a trolley passing from the loop track to a track rail section for closing said switch.

19. In an apparatus for handling freight, a track system, a crane structure, a plurality of track sections carried thereby to cooperate with the track system, a loop track also carried by the crane structure and cooperating with pairs of said track sections, current supply conductors associated with the track sections and loop track, a switch track rail sections carried by the witnesses, on this th day operating when open to cut off current supply to the track section conductors Without affecting currentsupply to the loop track, a rock shaft for opening and closing said switch, and oppositely arranged rock arms carried by said shaft and respectively located in the path of a trolley passing to and fromthe loop track to open and close said switch.

20. In an apparatus for handling freight, a track system, a crane structure, a plurality of tracksections carried thereby to cooperate with the track system, a loop track also carried by the crane structure and cooperating with the track sections, current supply conductors associated with said track sectionsand loop track, means operated by a trolley passing from a track section to the loop track for cutting ofi current supply to the track section conductors without affecting current supply to the loop track conductor, and means operated by the trolley passing from the loop track to the track sections for closing the track section conductors to current supply.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto setmy hand in the presence of the subscribing of May, A. D.,

HARRY SAWYER.

Witnesses:

J. L. HAGA, OT'ro ALBERT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 1 Washington, D. G. i 

